OT Lazy Cooking with Cat!

[Lazarus]

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I agree Agate, I think the cherry tomatoes are more flavorful. I like to use them in salads, but don't use the plum tomatoes unless I just can't find the cherry ones.

Big business growers have bred the flavor out of the tomato in a constant effort to get long shelf life tomatoes...tomatoes that will not spoil with weeks of storing and shipping. Seek out local seed saver groups to get tomato seeds and start your own plants in a styrofoam cup in your kitchen!

It is really a shame. The average customer in this country is so divorced from real food with real taste that they choose pretty food ....no imperfections, uniform shape, unpalatable sameness. Grrrrrr!

[Sunshine]

When the flavor is not there, I think some eat more of them, trying to get flavor from it.
Lately my bananas are a good texture as always, but have zip flavor in them.

[stillstANNding]

I have improved the flavor of store-bought tomatoes by cutting them in half and broiling them.

I made a raised bed garden and am doing a version of Square Foot Gardening. I have 24 sq feet. I grew a lot from heirloom seeds, including four kinds of tomatoes, in an inside greenhouse in the living room. I bought a Tumbling Tom cherry tomato in a hanging basket from the last farm in the city (Allandale). I also got a bell pepper plant there. Really enjoying farming. ;-)

And I want layer chickens and goats. <dreaming>
ANN

[agate]

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Big business growers have bred the flavor out of the tomato in a constant effort to get long shelf life tomatoes...tomatoes that will not spoil with weeks of storing and shipping. Seek out local seed saver groups to get tomato seeds and start your own plants in a styrofoam cup in your kitchen!

It is really a shame. The average customer in this country is so divorced from real food with real taste that they choose pretty food ....no imperfections, uniform shape, unpalatable sameness. Grrrrrr!

That probably explains why I used to want to sprinkle salt on the large tomatoes I ate every day for years and years. I usually put them into a salad but sometimes sliced them and just ate them, or put them into open-faced sandwiches. Always put salt on them. I have no inclination to want to add salt to these tiny tomatoes though. Lately they've been sold under a brand called Private Selection (to make you feel you're getting something very special?) but it's really one of the store's brands (Fred Meyer which is part of Kroger). Just now they're not outrageously pricey.

Years ago when I had a yard with sun, I tried a tomato plant or two but got no tomatoes. Now I have no sun at all and have realized that tomato-growing might take more gardening talent and knowhow than I have--but many people do have luck with them.

[Virginia]

Ann, are you doing your gardening at home, so Peter can stay in the city and have his cultural interest? Since some of it starts in the living room and then moves to the outdoors, I call it indoor/outdoor gardening.

You have said lately that you are active and feeling better, maybe this has something to do with it.

[stillstANNding]

Virginia, Peter does like museums and libraries and concerts.

Because I am feeling improved, I can do more. I watched YouTubes on cooking and farming and gardening all winter when I was sick. It was a break from dark thoughts and big worries.

ANN

[Lazarus]

I think most of us on this board have a remarkable talent for Anne’s approach. We have ways to take a break from “ dark thoughts and big worries. “ this is a big talent that keeps us from horribly overburdening our caretakers. We all deserve a ‘tony’ award!

[jendie]

All this talk about cherry tomatoes. The only variety of tomato plant I could find locally is one that is about 2" in diameter. It's too bad I couldn't get any heirloom cherry or grape tomatoes started this year from the seeds I bought online. Western Washington weather has been wacky this year. We finally got temps in the 70s fairly recently, but now we're back in the 50s and 60s again.

I guess that this is what I get for killing some of my perennial patio plants last year when post concussion syndrome had me a DEEP funk and not caring to water my patio plants during the summer heat and drought. My strawberry plants and blueberry bushes didn't put out new leaves when spring finally arrived this year, so I'll need to start from scratch next year.

[agate]

So sorry the tomatoes didn't turn out for you this time, jendie. Maybe another time. I've heard that tomatoes are tricky to grow though I tried them only once briefly. I think I had one tomato plant and I don't think it bore. A victim of my neglect, I'm sure.

A question for people here--about sun butter or sunflower butter.

Maybe everyone has been eating sun(flower) butter for ages but I heard of it only recently and found out it (a) is meant to be a substitute for peanut butter and other nut butters when there are people who might have a nut allergy and (b) has just as much protein as peanut butter.

How does it taste? How spreadable is it?

I found this recipe for it but it looks as if it has seeds in it and wouldn't be very smooth.

https://minimalistbaker.com/super-se...flower-butter/

[Sunshine]

I am making my favorite and easy dish today: It is walnut encrusted fish. So easy to make, so delicious. Living in Florida, we can get fresh fish right off the boat at the fish market.

Today will be sheepshead. You grind up a cup of walnuts with 2/3 cup breadcrumb which I use homemade so its still a bit coarse. Grind up good. Put it in a dish. Add 4 tbs grated Parmesan cheese, mix in with a bit of black pepper. Ad 4 tbs EVOO and mix it so its a moist .

Get a flat like fish such as flounder, snapper, sheepshead. Lion fish etc. WIth the amount of mixture you make, it covers about 1 lb of flat fish...I cut it into 4 pieces so we have two dinners for each of us...Put it on a dish and cover the dish with EVOO so the fish doesnt stick to it. I do it in my toaster oven ...Smear Dijon mustard on the fish so the walnut bread Parmesan mixture has something to adhere to the fish. Then, coat the top of the fish evenly with the mixture.

Bake fish in 425F oven for 8-12 minutes depending on thickness of fish. The fish should flake but still be moist.

Serve with squeeze of lemon.